IntroductionThere are a variety of technologies for heating a residential home. These choices include natural gas, propane, electricity and wood. Operating costs for heating a home tend to vary from year to year because fuels depend on the market. Resources become less and less accessible every year. Today, there is great interest in energy efficiency, conservation and safeguarding our environment. The development of new energy sources is important and such examples include solar, wind and geothermal energy. However, by using more efficient and cost-effective storage devices, we can use our existing resources more wisely. Fortunately, there are more advanced options available today using closed-loop control systems. A closed-loop control system is defined as “measuring the difference between the actual value of the controlled variable and the desired variable and using the difference to drive the actual value toward the desired value.” An example of a closed-loop control system is electric thermal storage (ETS). What is electric thermal storage (ETS)? Heat from electric thermal storage (ETS) is a quiet, odorless and affordable technology using electricity. ETS concerns the development of the transformation of electricity into thermal energy and its economy in the form of heat. ETS has been around for decades and is commonly used in Europe and Canada. However, this type of storage is not feasible in areas lacking electrical services or where electricity is expensive. ETS is effective when low-cost off-peak electricity capacity is offered. Heat can be stored in a few types of storage materials. The most common type of storage material is high-density ceramic bricks with an electric heating element at its core. The bricks are wrapped in insulation...... middle of paper ...... under load, some of the heat is released into the room to provide immediate comfort. The rest of the heat is stored in the bricks until needed. During peak hours, the heating elements are turned off. Insulation around the core helps the bricks retain stored heat. Once the ETS unit is charged, fans inside the radiator move air around the bricks. The air is heated to between 180 and 200 degrees and returned to the room. Since the process is controlled by a wall thermostat, you can get as much or as little heat as you want. Ceramic bricks are made from a high-density iron oxide that surrounds the elements to absorb heat. The high-density compound accomplishes two things. Firstly, it retains more heat for a longer period of time and secondly, it requires less space. See Figure 1 for a pictorial representation of an electric thermal storage unit..4